138 THE GARDENER. [March 



with Flat Nonpareil, Wyken Pippin, and Cockle Pippin Apples ; and Neplus 

 Meuris, Josephine de Maliues, and March Bergamot Pears, the flavour of the 

 Pears being very fine. Mr Garland, The Gardens, Killerton, Devon, was second 

 with Sturmer Pippin, Royal Russet, and Hubbard's Pearmain Apples; and Winter 

 Nelis, Glou Morceau, and Bergamotte Esperen Pears. The Society also offered 

 prizes for the best three dishes of dessert Apples, and also of dessert Pears. Mr 

 C. Ross, The Gardens, Welford Park, Newbury, was first with Apples, having 

 Scarlet Nonpareil, White Nonpareil, and Carraway Russet ; 2d, Mr M. Saul, 

 The Gardens, Stourton Park, with Margil, Ribston Pippin, and Aromatic Russet. 

 The best three dishes of Pears came from Mr Wells, Holme Lacy Gardens, who 

 had Beurre Ranee, Bergamotte Esperen, and Bergamot Hendrick. Mr Garland was 

 second with winter Nelis, Bergamotte Esperen, and Beurre Ranee. Mr Meredith, 

 Garston, sent some capital Black Alicante, Muscat of Alexandria, and Lady 

 Downes Grapes ; and an immense bunch of Child of Hale, raised by crossing the 

 Syrian with the Muscat of Alexandria, but closely resembling the Syrian in 

 appearance. 



GOOSEBERRY AND CURRANT BUSH PRUNING. 



My experience of cottage -gardens in this neighbourhood leads me to believe that 

 their owners generally understand the cultivation of these fruit-bushes very well, 

 with the exception that they are too negligent in keeping up a proper supply of 

 young ones. In ordinary fruiting seasons the price of ripe Gooseberries or Black 

 Currants usually averages one shilling per gallon — a much lower price than that 

 quoted by one correspondent — a fact that will show plainly how largely these 

 fruits are grown. I think the tendency amongst Gooseberry -bushes to die off in 

 large branches at a time when the trees should be at the height of their growth 

 and productiveness, is due more to hard pruning than to any other cause. It 

 should be borne in mind that both the Gooseberry and Currant propagate or re- 

 new themselves naturally by suckers, and consequently manifest a great tendency 

 to develop that form of growth after a certain number of years. The mainten- 

 ance of a clean stem can thus rarely be obtained, except at the expense of life 

 itself. I expect the fifty-year-old bushes mentioned by one correspondent must 

 have gone through many of these renewals, and have about as much of the origi- 

 nal tree in them as the celebrated gun that was still the same, but had had a 

 new "lock, stock, and barrel." An old Gooseberry plantation is generally one 

 of the most un>ightly objects in a garden, and miserable attempts at renovation 

 are often madp. by planting young bushes as the old ones die out, failure almost 

 always resulting. No safer plan can be adopted to maintain an efficient supply 

 of clean bushes and fine fruit than the plantation of young trees, in number equal 

 to one-third of the entire number grown. This should be done about every third 

 or fourth year, and in quarters of fresh soil devoted exclusively to these, and 

 not in the old-fashioned and objectionable manner of putting them all round the 

 quarters next the walks. The best manure for bush fruits is to be found in a 

 well-rotted rubbish-heap — stuff that is sufficiently nutritive without developing 

 that coarse growth usually engendered by strong manure. Forking should be 

 done sparingly among the roots, except where, when in a young state, the rows 

 are sufficiently far apart to admit of vegetables being grown for a year or two 

 between them; and this is much the wisest plan, as it allows of that after- 

 expansion of growth so essential to the health and productiveness of the trees. 

 I have often been surprised to see the extraordinary quantity of fruit that 



